Where
Allen County Public Library Downtown900 Library Plaza
Meeting Rooms A & B
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Driving Directions
Prenatal and Infant Care Network Luncheon
Thursday, February 20, 2020
11:30AM-1:30PM – Lunch Provided
Allen County Public Library Downtown, Meeting Rooms A & B
900 Library Plaza
Good News
As noted by Governor Holcomb, Indiana’s infant mortality rate fell at the highest rate in six years, and preliminary data from ISDH shows 559 Indiana babies died before age 1 in 2018, which is down from 602 in 2017.
The 2018 infant mortality rates for non-Hispanic whites met the Healthy People 2020 goal of 6.0, and our Hispanic rate is just above at 6.1. The non-Hispanic black rate fell from 15.4 to 13.0. In addition, the rate of Sudden Unexplained Infant Deaths, or SUIDS, fell 42 percent among non-Hispanic black infants.
Although we have much to celebrate, we know there is still work to be done to address persistent racial disparities. Non-Hispanic black infant mortality rates continue to be much higher than those of other populations in Indiana and around the world.
How do we keep this momentum going?
Erin Norton, Director, Community Outreach, Parkview Health, will provide recommendations and actions that can be taken as part of the Allen County FIMR (Fetal Infant Mortality Review) report. She will discuss what community agencies can actually do that are beneficial and keep us moving towards our goals.
Dr. Nancy Swigonski, Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine Professor, Fairbanks School of Public Health, will identify the leading and most preventable causes of infant mortality, the risks factors for infant mortality, and distinguish what physicians, medical professionals and organizations can do to improve Indiana’s IMR. She will also discuss how to recognize and address racial disparities and social determinants that contribute to high infant mortality rates.
Both distinguished speakers will discuss recommendations and programs, and what needs to happen in our communities and healthcare systems to save Indiana’s infants.
For More information about the Prenatal and Infant Care Network and to access materials from previous luncheons CLICK HERE.